The Secret Garden: A Fruits Basket version
by Sybl Angelkat
Summary: Tohru Honda has just lost her mother and has been sent to live with the mysterious Sohma family. The household is dark and "dead, like a spell had been cast upon it". There are many mysteries here for the young girl to solve. But the biggest mystery is why the gardens are locked away and who's making that crying sound at night…
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Tohru Honda has just lost her mother and has been sent to live with the mysterious Sohma family. The household is dark and "dead, like a spell had been cast upon it". There are many mysteries here for the young girl to solve. But the biggest mystery is why the gardens are locked away and who's making that crying sound at night…

A/N: For those of you who are reading "The Dove", don't worry. I'm still going to finish that one. I just got this idea that I couldn't help but type madly tonight. I got to watching "The Secret Garden" and I got ideas. Tohru is Mary's age (around 10), as are the other two main "child" characters.

Chapter 1…..The Heartbreak

It seemed as if they had been traveling for an eternity. Tohru had spent the last few weeks in a daze. She'd tried to be friendly to the other kids while they were on the ship, but it hadn't always worked out. Many of them took advantage of her naturally kind nature and many of them picked on her.

"She hasn't got anyone that wants her," a boy had whispered behind her back, "the Sohmas are probably only adopting her as a tax-write-off."

"She's so plain and so air-headed," a girl had said, "she'll believe anything you tell her."

They had done a number of other things that were hurtful, as well. They often tried to steal Tohru's picture of her mother and hide it just to upset her. Other times, they would pointedly exclude her from their games. To break the monotony of being on the boat, they would pick one game to play all day and then the next day pick a different game. One day, they were playing Fruits Basket.

"I'm an orange!" one would say. "I'm a peach!" Another would cry.

"What can I be?" Tohru had asked.

"You can be the rice ball," the girl had said smugly. Tohru clapped her hands together, ecstatic that somebody was actually including her. But as time went on and all the others were called, she never once heard anyone say "rice ball." As a consequence, it became her unwanted nickname.

Now, at last, they were getting off the boat. The other kids chanted "Rice Ball!" as she walked past, but she only smiled sadly. At least there was her new family to look forward to…

"Number Forty-Three! Tohru Honda!" the man said over the loudspeaker. She'd been watching as the children were called one by one (unless there were siblings) to the front of the line where their relatives greeted them. The earthquake had claimed many more lives than just Kyoko Honda's.

Tohru bravely marched to the front of the line carrying her suitcases. She looked around for warm smiles and hugs, but there came none, only an awkward silence. She felt the blood drain from her face and her stomach turn.

"Number forty-three! TOHRU HONDA!" the man enunciated firmly as if speaking to someone hard of hearing. Surely they would come now…

The crowd of children burst into laughter.

"Rice ball! Rice ball!" they chanted.

"Just step aside, dear. I'm sure someone will come for you soon. Perhaps they're only running late."

Tohru's head hung as a tear trickled down her cheek.

_Or maybe they didn't want me…_

Despite her usual sunny outlook on things, she couldn't help but think the worst had happened. The sky was gray and murky and a storm was brewing. Perhaps the letter from this "Hatori Sohma" was a cruel prank that someone was playing on her. Perhaps they had changed their mind and didn't want a ten-year-old-girl hanging around. She looked down at the generic black dress that they'd put her in. Despite doing her best with her appearance, she felt dull and plain. Even her blue hair ribbons were wilted. Her teal eyes, now wet, bloodshot, and stinging, scanned the crowd with a silent plea: perhaps, any minute, her new "uncle" would come for her.

One by one, the rest of the names were called. Dark set in. Tohru's head ached and she was very hungry. At least now, with no one watching her, she could let her tears fall without the constant taunting.

"Did I do something wrong, Mom? I did everything they asked…I tried not to make myself a bother to anyone…" she cradled her mother's framed portrait in her arms.

She heard footsteps getting closer. The janitor had been pretending not to notice her though she'd attempted to talk to him. Perhaps he was only returning his supplies to the storage building. She wished there were a fireplace somewhere nearby…it was getting dreadfully cold in here.

"Tohru Honda?" a voice asked.

Tohru raised her head with a surprised gasp. A dark-haired woman emerged from the shadows. She was older and had heavy shadows under her eyes, but there was a determined look about her.

"Let me check," the announcer man from earlier said, skimming his eyes down his clipboard, "yes, number forty-three: Tohru Honda."

"I've come to claim her. I'm Okami Sohma from the Sohma Estate. I came in Hatori's place, as he is away on business."

"Yes, of course."

Tohru stood, bowing respectfully, and earning an awkward chuckle from both adults. She wished she hadn't cried so much: she didn't want this woman to think of her as a nuisance or a baby.

"Well, dear, let's get your things into the carriage and we'll be off."

The coach ride seemed to take even longer. Okami was reluctant to talk much, but she did offer Tohru something to eat. Ironically, it was rice balls. They were cold, but they satisfied the hunger, thankfully. Tohru thanked her and retreated to her thoughts, seeing that Okami wasn't up for conversation. She lay her head back and fell asleep.

At first, sleep was a welcome distraction, but all she had were nightmares. She dreamed about the doctor telling her that Kyoko hadn't survived. She dreamed about the people from the orphanage and the church taking her to the boat and the children taunting her. After a while, Tohru gave up trying to sleep and stared out the window. The whole countryside was gray in the poor morning light—would it EVER stop raining? The farmers' fields were doused in mist and she couldn't see very much. Her bottom was beginning to ache, and her legs longed to run to relieve the stiffness. But she said nothing. She didn't dare sour Okami's opinion of her, especially when she knew how fortunate she was. But it got tiring being so good all the time…nothing in the world was as hard as being good when you just wanted to be yourself.

Okami woke after a while and pointed to a vague rooftop in the distance.

"There's Sohma House now! When we get there, you'll go to bed for a few hours and rest. Then you'll have some breakfast and get settled in, all right?"

Tohru nodded, though she didn't really want to sleep. It was too weird in a strange place like this.

"Will I see Dr. Sohma soon?" she asked.

"It's not likely. He stays away from home a great deal…he always has since Akira and Ren passed away. They didn't have any suitable heirs to pass the title on to, so he took it over. But he only keeps from selling everything off out of kindness. The place just holds too many memories for him."

Tohru hung her head, disappointed.

"There was a time he knew your mother as well, so you can see why he'd show a little reluctance," Okami said, "she was once one of his patients before she married your father and moved away."

Tohru's heartbeat quickened. So, there had been a reason! She wondered what else she hadn't known before. This place, it seemed, was full of secrets.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2…The Cat, The Rat, and the Garden

Tohru awoke with a jerk when she heard the door creak. After navigating the maze of the manor and trying not to lose sight of Okami's green kimono through the haze of darkness that was still blanketing the house, she'd fallen face-first into the bed. The bed was enormous—it dwarfed her quite a bit. Though her surroundings were quite opulent, there was nothing in the room to suggest that it was a child's room. She rolled over and sat up as Okami brought in a breakfast tray.

"Here you are, dear," she said, "I'm afraid I haven't time to chat or to show you around the house. I would rather you stay put for now—you could get lost and worry everyone if you wander off. Also, the master does not want you poking around in the other rooms. He'll be angry if he finds out."

Tohru wondered what it was that had made this man so unpleasant. She supposed she understood how he felt after losing Kyoko, but unlike her, he was surrounded by people. It was heartbreaking.

"You can change when you've eaten. There are new clothes in the wardrobe for you."

Tohru slid out of the bed and opened it. Much to her dismay, she saw kimonos there, but she hadn't the slightest inkling of how to put one on.

"Excuse me, but is there someone to help me dress? I don't mean to be a bother, it's just—"

"You can't dress yourself?" Okami asked, stunned.

"I can, just not a kimono. I've never worn one," she admitted sheepishly.

"If I can possibly spare one of the others, I will send them up. But you might be in for quite a wait."

Tohru watched her hurry out the door. She sighed, frustrated, and kicked at one of her shoes that had been laying in the floor. As hard as she tried not to get angry, she felt it. What was the point of asking her to stay here if she was going to be a bother to everyone? Why not send her somewhere else where she could maybe help out and have some fun?

Placing her mother's picture on the table, she began to eat. Her mood was quite gloomy and though the food was good, her growing depression stunted her appetite. She only managed to pick at it before getting up to examine her surroundings in a little more detail. There were beautiful prints hanging on the walls, and even some photographs of flowers and things like that. The furniture was very ornate and rich-looking with a lot of embellishment. She was almost too afraid to touch it. A dressing table, so far devoid of any items save decorative, stood against one wall. Another wall had two large windows looking out. There was a small table for her to eat at and there was her bed and the wardrobe, but that was about it. She fingered the delicate silk of the kimonos, hoping she would be careful enough not to ruin them.

She froze when she heard the crying sound. Who on earth was that? It was very faint, but it sounded quite loud in the silence. Tohru didn't realize how quiet it had been. The silence here was so oppressive that the only sounds before the crying had been her own frantic heartbeat and the ringing in her ears. Curious, Tohru shoved her feet into her shoes and walked towards the sound. The keening wail was high-pitched and shrill; it sounded like another child. She wandered into the hallway, her heartbeat going even faster. She'd heard about old places like this having ghosts; perhaps that was why it was so gloomy?

Other sounds emerged as she went further. Servants moved to and fro doing various chores. Some woman downstairs was singing as she kneaded dough for pasta. Another was dusting. Avoiding them carefully so as not to get caught and make Hatori upset, she stuck to the shadows as she wandered down the stairs.

There was a door hidden in the wall. If she hadn't been intentionally looking for the source of the crying, she'd have walked right past it. Just as she was about to open it, it slid open and Okami appeared. Both gasped out of fright.

"Tohru, I'm only going to tell you this once more! You mustn't wander around—you'll get yourself in trouble and me, too! Now come on!"

She dragged her back upstairs, her grip uncomfortably tight on Tohru's shoulders.

"Now stay there, please!"

Okami's voice was attempting to be stern, but it was almost pleading. The crying was getting worse downstairs.

"But..."

Tohru sighed as she closed the door.

"I just wanted to know who it was," she sighed, resigned.

After what seemed like forever (she had no toys to play with and even imagination had its limits for her), the door rattled open again. Instead of Okami, there was a younger girl with dark brown hair and grayish-green eyes. This one was smiling.

"You must be Tohru!"

She set the lunch tray down, frowning at the sheer amount of food left on the breakfast tray.

"You've hardly touched your rice—didn't you want it?"

"I ate as much as I could," Tohru said half-heartedly, "is everyone around here always busy?"

"That's the case most of the time," Kagura said, "we'd never get anywhere if there was a lady of the house. She'd take up most of our time and we'd really have our hands full. I'm Kagura, by the way."

She smiled.

"You're still in your nightgown," she remarked, puzzled.

"I'm not sure how to dress with these kimonos," Tohru said, downcast, "I was afraid I would ruin them."

"Oh. Well, why didn't you just say so? Let me give you a hand."

She spread them out on the still-rumpled bed.

"What would you like to wear?"

There was one pink, one blue, and one green. Tohru chose the green one. Kagura helped her get it on.

"There you are! Be really careful," she warned, "the silk damages easily. I would tuck this napkin over you like so to keep any spills off of it. I'm surprised your mother didn't teach you how to put one on."

Tohru began to cry, burying her face in her hands. She didn't want to think about Kyoko right now.

"It's not her fault! She didn't ask to die!"

She flung herself over the bed, not wanting to look at Kagura. Kagura realized then that she'd made a mistake and walked over to the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry," Kagura said gently, "I didn't mean it like that, I swear it. I talk too much sometimes…please don't cry anymore…"

Tohru looked up at her with glittering eyes.

"We never had the money for expensive clothes like these…but we made do…I may not know anything about kimonos, but I know a lot of other things…"

She sat up slowly, hating the headache that was coming on.

"I know that when the snow melts, it will be spring," she said shakily, "and though this place is really dark and depressing now, it won't always be. And that maybe I'll find out who's crying down there and maybe they'll stop being sad."

Kagura laughed uneasily.

"It's just the wind blowing through the house," she responded, "it sounds an awful lot like crying, doesn't it? Some say there's a ghost around, but I've never been a big believer in those stories."

"A ghost? Of a boy, maybe?" Tohru asked, "That's what it sounded like."

"Maybe. This place is pretty old," Kagura said, guiding her back to the table, "if I believed in them or saw them, I might think a place like this is bound to have one or two at least. But don't let the stories the other servants tell scare you. They like to mess around with children since we rarely have them around. Especially pretty little girls like you."

Tohru smiled faintly. No one had ever called her pretty before.

"Maybe if the ghost-boy was real, I could play with him. I wouldn't be afraid," she said.

"It's a pity it was so chilly and damp outside today," Kagura said, "I take care of my younger cousins Yuki and Kyo. They go off in the woods all by themselves for hours. You could play with them if it's company you want."

Boys…Tohru hadn't had much luck with boys. At this age, most of them didn't want anything to do with girls. But it was better than nothing.

"Yuki asked a lot of questions about you," Kagura said, "and Kyo was equally as curious, though he tried to hide it and pretend he didn't care."

"I can't go outside today?" Tohru asked.

"Okami doesn't want you to catch cold with the strain of the travel, but maybe tomorrow if it's warmer," Kagura answered, "if you're finished here, I have to go now. Okami's probably not going to be very happy with me taking so long to get back downstairs to the dishes."

"Well…thank you," Tohru said, feeling awkward. She settled into the chair next to the window, looking to see if she could catch a glimpse of either one of Kagura's cousins. She spotted a boy with bright orange hair—was he wearing some sort of a wig? How was that color possible? And the other one…unless it was a trick of the light, his hair was gray. How odd…both of them were riding ponies and chasing each other. At one point, they both dismounted and it appeared that they were fighting with each other. Then, just as quickly as the fight started, it stopped. Boys were strange…

As if feeling her gaze upon them, the orange-haired one looked up first. Then, the gray-haired one. The gray-haired one waved, but the orange-haired one just thrust his hands into his pockets and turned back around. Tohru waved back. Then, they were gone. She saw them ride off into the thick fog and they seemed to vanish.

"Those must be my new cousins," she remarked to herself, "maybe if they like me enough, they'll let me ride one of those horses."

The sky was growing darker. Though this day seemed to have gone on forever, it was at last drawing to a close. Tohru had amused herself by pretending she was a queen and this was her palace. Her "subjects" were nothing more than a few objects that she'd collected from her environment, but it did ease the pervasive sense of loneliness that she'd felt. She was pretending to throw a ball and was dancing with one of her pillows when Okami came to light the lamps.

"Hatori's in," she said, "but he isn't taking any visitors."

"I can't go and see him?" Tohru asked, hiding the pillow behind her back.

"Afraid not. He usually doesn't talk to many of us when he does come in. The traveling makes him weary."

Tohru's downcast gaze drew a smile of sympathy from Okami. The black-haired woman placed her fingers under the young girl's chin and lifted it until their gazes met: almost black to teal.

"Don't let it get you down," she said, "I know things look terribly bleak right now…you just having lost your mother and being moved to a creepy old place like this that resembles a ghost haunt, but I assure you that Sohma House is quite charming once you get used to it. And maybe someday your uncle will come out of his shell and stop being afraid he'll lose everyone."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Tohru's lips.

"Besides, you've got plenty of others to meet. Before long, you'll have more friends than you'll be able to play with at one time."

"Thanks," Tohru said weakly.

Though her nerves grew more frazzled with the looming darkness, Tohru was more tired than she thought she would be. Kagura came up to bring her dinner and helped her take the silky garments off in exchange for her comfortable white cotton gown. She could hardly stay awake to eat her dinner and was almost asleep by the time Kagura took the tray downstairs. Tonight, she didn't dream of Kyoko, but of the ghost boy. He wandered, transparent and pale, through the house and cried because no one could see him. Sometime in the night, Tohru woke, sure that someone had been standing over her. When her eyes panned around the dark room, however, she saw nothing. It took her a while to go back to sleep after that.

The next morning, Kagura brought breakfast and began to gather up various articles of clothing while Tohru was eating. As it was far too cold to wear a kimono outside, she was bundled up in traditional winter gear. At first, Tohru objected to the many layers, as it made her feel like she was in an oven.

"You won't be singing that tune when you go out there!" Kagura said in an almost sing-song voice, "Just the scarf and the hat left now…there you go!"

She led her downstairs past the noisy kitchen and the chattering staff to the front door.

"Now, to get to the gardens, you follow that little path right there and turn left. My two younger cousins will probably turn up there at some point. If they ride off into the woods like they always do, you can still amuse yourself by exploring the place."

"What if they don't like me?" Tohru couldn't help but ask.

"I'm sure they will. Kyo's a little stand-offish, but you should get along with Yuki quite well—you both hate to trouble people. There are also a great deal of non-humans hanging around that you can make friends with as well. Now, I have to go back inside. If you need anything at all, just come right back in and ask."

And away she went. Tohru stood by herself on the steps, awed at how much larger Sohma house seemed from out here. She did as Kagura said and followed the stone path. One lonely gardener was outside today, his breath emitting in puffs of steam. She left him alone, as he was clearly busy digging a giant hole for something.

By the time she reached the garden, Tohru felt as if she'd been walking forever. Her cheeks were flushed with the cold and her nose stung. Her ears would have burned as well, but she'd tugged her hat down over them to protect them. Walking through a gap between two hedges, she looked around.

The garden was enormous. There were frozen ponds everywhere and trees coated with ice. The whole place seemed to be made out of glass. Icicles shimmered in the scant sunlight that occasionally punched through the thick layers of clouds. Though there was hardly a green thing in here at this time of year, it would probably be even prettier during the spring. Tohru stroked the smooth coating of ice on a small sapling tree, marveling at the effect.

"What is she doing here?!" a voice pierced the silence. Tohru gasped, a frightened jolt running through her body. She turned to see the orange-haired boy sliding down from the top of the fence. He looked quite cross; it certainly didn't help that his eyes were a startling shade of red. She'd never seen such a thing before. The gray-haired boy's face appeared over the top of the fence as he climbed the tree. He was not nearly as agile as the other one was.

"That must be Miss Honda," he said, "Kagura said she would be out here today."

Throwing his leg over, he managed to overcome the fence, but not with the orange-haired boy's deftness.

"Nice to meet you both," she said awkwardly, "my name is Tohru."

"I'm Yuki, and this grouch over here is Kyo," the gray-haired boy said, "we're staying with Kagura for the time being. Kyo's father is away for right now."

"He's not my father," Kyo grumbled, "he just says that so he can boss me around."

"Oh…sorry to hear that," Tohru said, looking down at her shoes, "what happened to your own dad?"

"He didn't want me. But I don't like talking about that, especially to a girl."

"Oh."

"So, Miss Honda," Yuki spoke up, trying to dispel the awkwardness, "how long will you be with us?"

"A long time," Tohru answered, "maybe even forever."

"Forever's a long time," Yuki agreed, "but sometimes that's good. Did they have horses where you lived?"

"I've never ridden one," she confessed, "I saw yours yesterday. They're very pretty."

"They aren't exactly ours, but Hatsuharu and Isuzu are nice enough to let us borrow them," Yuki said, "you can't live in a big place like this and not know how to ride. Come on, we'll show you. You can ride Kyo's pony."

"No way! If you want to teach her so bad, you let her ride yours!" Kyo exploded.

"No, really, I don't want to get in the way," Tohru said sheepishly, obviously flustered that she'd upset him, "I can learn to ride some other time…"

"It's all right," Yuki cut her off in the middle of her growing hysteria, "two people can fit on mine since neither of us is really that big anyway. Let's go."

The two horses were trying to find grass to graze on though most of it had been killed in the first frost. One of them was a dappled gray and the other one was a bright sorrel—it was a reddish brown shade that seemed almost glow in the dim grayish light. Yuki helped her get on the gray one though she was quite nervous—the horse was quite a bit bigger than she was though it was only a pony. Yuki swung into the saddle behind her.

"Get the reins," he instructed her, "and I'll show you what to do."

Kyo mumbled something about how girls were too dumb to get this and Yuki responded by sticking out his tongue. Then, he showed her how to make the horse move forward just by letting the reins slacken and squeezing gently with your knees. Tohru let out a breathless giggle as the horse began to trot.

"It's awfully bumpy," she commented.

"That's because you don't want him to trot. You want to make him gallop like this."

Tohru let out a surprised scream when Yuki shook the reins and the horse surged forward. At first, she was so scared that she closed her eyes and hung on for dear life. When she finally got brave enough to open them, the whole world was surging past. The awkward bumping that the horse had been doing earlier was now a smooth rhythm, almost like music.

"You're not going to beat me, you damn rat!" Kyo urged his own horse forward with a whoop.

"You shouldn't say things like that," Yuki called to him, "first, that's a bad word. Second, you're lying and we know it!"

Tohru giggled, though her laugh was cut short when she saw that they were heading for a fence.

"YUKI!" she yelled frightfully. But the horse didn't stop. Instead, she felt it gathering its strength. As easily as one seemed to breathe, it leapt over the fence and kept going.

"See? He knows what he's doing," Yuki told her, "I think he's showing off for you."

Kyo's horse landed a split second after they did.

"Nice try," he taunted Yuki, "but not good enough."

"Not everything has to be a contest, you dumb cat!"

They started arguing, but upon seeing a black cat dart by, it was quickly forgotten. Curious as to where it was going, they followed it. She grew wary of them since she had hidden her kittens nearby in a hole in one of the stone walls.

"I guess we can't pet them," Tohru said glumly as the cat flattened her ears against her skull and hissed.

"Who says?" Kyo asked, never having been good at taking no for an answer. He walked up to her even though she was growling a warning and touched her. The cat's growling stopped, but she watched him with narrowed eyes.

"I'm not going to hurt them," he assured her. And strangely enough, she seemed to believe him. He even petted the kittens one by one.

"How did he do that?" Tohru asked. Yuki grinned.

"Let's just say that cats are one of the few things that he gets along with better than people," he answered.


	3. Chapter 3

Now that Tohru had Yuki and Kyo to look forward to seeing every day, she no longer had to feel lonely. The initial dread that she had on her first day at Sohma house that all her days would be spent cooped up in her bedroom rapidly disappeared. It was very cold and windy outside, but she didn't mind so much. She and the boys often took refuge next to the walls when the wind got to be too much.

But something still troubled her. Nobody would explain what that noise was. She still heard it at night and it seemed to be more and more frequent. Perhaps the reason she noticed it more intensely was because she lay awake listening for it now.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" she asked, peering out from under the relative safety of her covers. The wailing continued. Tohru ventured out a little further. It was a very stormy night and that certainly didn't help. It was dreadfully cold out there, but Tohru's nerves were set on edge. She looked over at the picture of her mother.

"I can't sleep, Mom," she sighed, "it's too noisy out there…and in here…is it a ghost? What do we do? Whoever that is, it sounds so sad…"

The screams sounded angry tonight, wrathful like the stories of onryo or yurei. She wondered if this ghost had been wronged in some way. In her mind, this wailing, shrieking creature could be nothing but a ghost, for why else would Kagura, Yuki, Kyo, and all the others ignore it or change the subject? She picked up her mother's picture and retrieved her robe and slippers. Her teeth chattered as she did so, but anything was better than laying here waiting for the nightmares to return. She wished her mother were present, but the best she had was the framed picture in the pocket of her robe. She pretended that Kyoko was walking beside her, her warm smile and reassuring hand-squeezes encouraging Tohru not to be afraid. While it was gossip that Tohru was a big crybaby, there was something that the overburdened household had yet to discover about her: underneath her seemingly frail spirit was a bravery that Kyoko had instilled in her. With a shaking hand, Tohru carried the lit candle through the darkness. She cringed a little at the lightning and had to suppress a frightened scream when she almost tripped over one of the many dogs. It growled warningly at her.

"Sorry," she said timidly, backing away. The dog lay its head back down on its massive brown paws, but its angry dark eyes watched her as she gave it a wide berth, making sure she wouldn't trespass in its space again. Tohru's heart was thundering.

The maze of hallways seemed endless. She wondered how she could live in a place like this without knowing her way around. Nighttime was probably the only time she could explore this place since no one would be bothered by her presence. There was no one's way to get into. Listening carefully, she followed the sound of the crying. Whoever it was seemed to have dissolved into tears now, over the worst of their fit. It was very close by. Tohru scraped up what remained of her bravery and continued forward. Much to her shock, the noise seemed to be coming from inside of a wall!

She hesitated, uncertain of what to do. Her hands felt the seemingly solid wood.

"Don't these houses usually have hidden passages, Mom? Like secret tunnels? If not, then maybe it really is a ghost…"

She began to tap the wood very carefully, fearful that someone might hear. There came a hollow sound. She listened for the difference between the solid wood and the hollow wood. There was a space back here, all right…but how to get in? She'd heard of people sealing off rooms for whatever reason—had that happened? Her fingers were going numb with cold and her stomach was hurting from twisting around in her middle. Just as she was considering calling out to the ghost, she noticed something. A small, dark, round shape was marring the wood's apparent smoothness. Looking at it carefully, she realized it was a knot-hole. But if having perfect wood was so important, why would they choose a piece of wood that had this on there? Surely the Sohmas would have wanted all the perfect boards. She unconsciously reached her small, slender fingers towards it, probing it thoughtfully. She was surprised when she found that her finger poked through. It was an actual hole, not just a discolored spot from the tree's branches…

Tohru gently tugged at it. She gasped when a gap appeared between the apparently solid boards. A draft of musty air came through it, a mixture of smells that vaguely reminded her of her mother's hospital room and a room that hadn't been aired properly in ages. She pulled a little harder and the gap widened into a narrow doorway. Though she was small and thin for her age, it was a bit of a tight fit. She couldn't imagine the adults getting through there without having to crouch and turn sideways. They had gone to an awful lot of trouble to make sure this panel was kept a secret. Now she was even more nervous…suppose they found out about what she was doing? She closed the door behind her, hoping that she wouldn't have to make a quick escape. Stealth was going to be key here…

Though Tohru hated to do it, she blew out her candle. The darkness instantly pressed in all around her. She couldn't see anything whatsoever and this darkness was different than any other kind. There was the restful darkness that came at night when it was time to sleep, the kind where you could still sort of see. The moon and the stars made it more friendly, as did leaving one's door open a crack. Then, there was darkness like this: ominous, eerie, and depressing. It was like being smothered with an enormous blanket that you couldn't find your way out of. Fiddling with a strand of her brown hair out of nerves, Tohru stood stock-still in that spot, listening. The crying had been coming in waves—this time, it sounded extremely close. She stifled a gasp in the sleeve of her robe. Whatever it was, she had nearly found it.

_Mom said true bravery comes from doing the right thing even if you're scared. And this person sounds so sad. I must help if I can…_

Her knees knocked together as an involuntary shudder ran through her. Shakily, she felt her way around in the dark. After a few more paces, she could see a faint glow. Steeling herself for whatever she might encounter, Tohru crouched down to avoid being seen and stowed her candle by the door frame. She emerged at the top of a staircase.

The room was still cold despite an enormous fire roaring in the fireplace. There were a few sconce candles lit, casting the room in an eerie orange light. The shadows seemed to have a life of their own. They twisted and writhed, an effect caused by the guttering candle flames. Tohru knew that, but it was still hard not to think that something might be lurking in them. As she crept closer, her small hands twined around the bars on the staircase. Then, she gasped.

Right below her was an enormous bed. A small figure was lying in it, staring up at her with a mixture of shock and fear. It was a boy, she saw, a boy with hair as black as a starless night. His cheeks were so pale in comparison that he almost blended in with his sheets. That was probably why she hadn't seen him right away.

"A-Are you a ghost?" she blurted out dumbly.

"No…are you?" he responded, sounding as fearful as she felt.

"No. Just a regular girl who lives here."

He seemed almost affronted, crossing his thin arms over his chest.

"You live here? And no one told me about this? How pathetic. I'm supposed to be master of this house when my uncle's away."

Tohru didn't know what to say.

"Come down here where I can see you," the boy demanded, "I don't much like talking to shadows."

She obeyed, making her way carefully down the stairs. It was stunning how they could have such an enormous set of rooms hidden back here. Her old house could have probably fit in here with both yards.

"Was that you I heard crying earlier? What's upset you so much?" Tohru asked, though the tear-tracks were already drying on his white cheeks.

"I couldn't sleep. It happens a lot. Nightmares."

"Oh…I have them a lot, too. My mother just passed away not too long ago."

"Mine did, too. Before I was born. And Father…I don't think it's too much longer before I join them."

"Why? You can't be much older than I am," Tohru observed.

"I'm going to die," he replied darkly.

"Of what?"

"Of everything. Just like my father…you could say it's genetic."

"What are you ill with?"

He shrugged.

"No one can say. I'm always sick. I've spent my whole life in this bed. Okami and the others keep me sealed up in here so that no one will give me germs. I get really sick of it sometimes."

"I don't blame you," Tohru said sympathetically, "you don't get to play with Kyo and Yuki?"

"I'm told it's beneath me. But how can it be when I'm technically beneath them?"

Tohru giggled, for most of the room was underground.

"How did you find me?" he asked.

"I followed your screams," she answered, "Mom wouldn't want me to leave somebody by themselves being so upset. This is her."

She showed him the picture.

"She's pretty," the boy observed, "though you don't look much like her."

"I probably look more like Dad. I've never seen him, though."

He stared.

"How can we be so much alike and under the same roof and no one ever talks about you?"

She shrugged.

"Maybe they're so worried about you that they forget. I'm Tohru, by the way—Tohru Honda."

"My name's Akito."

He glanced at her expectantly, but she wasn't certain what he wanted.

"You're supposed to bow," he told her, "everyone else does."

She shrugged and did so.

"Why?"

"I'm not sure."

He tried unsuccessfully to smooth his covers out, but it wasn't working. He was getting cold—he was so painfully thin that he probably stayed chilled most of the time. Tohru shook them out and spread them over him, tucking the ends in where his feet wouldn't be exposed.

"There," she said, "I don't know how anyone could sleep good with their covers all crazy. Mom always said that a good tucking-in always brings good dreams."

He examined her carefully.

"You're very strange…you aren't at all like the others. Strange, I guess, in a good way. Now that you have found me, I hope you'll come back. You're the first other child I've ever seen. How old are you?"

"Ten. And a half."

"We're the same age."

The ghosting of a smile came to his thin lips then.

"Will you come back, Tohru Honda?"

"Whenever I can. I hate to come in here at night when you're trying to sleep, though…but Okami doesn't like me wandering around. I think they were all trying to keep me from finding you."

He made a face.

"I can order them to let you in."

"Please…don't go to any trouble on my account," Tohru begged, "I don't want to be a bother. I'm afraid they'll send me away."

Akito shook his head.

"Not if I order them to let you stay."

"Well…that's nice of you."

"I'm nice more than they let on. The way they talk about me…I wish you could hear them. I let them stay here, eat my food, sleep on my beds, and wander about and they talk like I'm some sort of burden. And…get this…they think I'm spoiled. It isn't like I asked to be born ill."

"That's terrible," Tohru said sympathetically.

"Yes…but I'm to become master of this house someday. I'm going to show them all. They'd better mend their ways."

It was almost alarming how quickly the air of superiority cloaked him, almost like he could change personalities at will. In doing so, his gaze became almost sinister. But it melted away nearly as quickly when he yawned.

"Girls may not be good for much, but you've helped me forget my nightmares," he commented, "I'm grateful for that."

He lay back on his pillow. Tohru tried not to think about how he looked like a corpse with his eyes closed—she reminded herself that he was still breathing.

"Good night, Akito."

She remembered how her mother always kissed her cheek or her forehead before leaving the room. Who would kiss Akito good night? Did anyone do it or did they bother? Her eyes welled with tears as she tried to imagine being deprived of even that small comfort. Akito cringed when she leaned in.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Haven't you ever gotten a kiss goodnight before?"

"No."

There was a timbre of disgust to his voice.

"Okami says kisses give people germs," he said, moving away from her.

"I've never gotten them from Mom," Tohru said.

She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. His cheeks became slightly less pale as the blood rushed to them.

"You should go…any minute of them will be along to bring my medicine," he said awkwardly, "I don't want them to catch you."

She nodded, though she was sure it was more to get rid of her.

"Good night then, Akito. I hope your dreams get better."

She made her way back upstairs after relighting her candle and crept into bed. She seemed to only just close her eyes when Kagura was entering with breakfast and to help her get dressed.


	4. Chapter 4

Tohru grunted in protest at the pair of hands that were gently shaking her.

"Mmmm….five more minutes, Mom, please?" she sighed.

The relentless shaking continued. Tohru slowly opened her eyes. Kagura stood over her, her gray-green eyes showing concern.

"Rough night, Little Miss? Your covers are all tangled up. And you…well, you had your shoes on."

Tohru looked down. She was sure that she'd only been wearing her slippers.

"Oh…"

She didn't quite know what to say. If Kagura found out that she knew of Akito, she might tell Okami and then…

"Did you have a nightmare?" Kagura asked gently, sitting down beside her.

"I have them all the time," Tohru confessed evasively, "it got cold in here last night, that's all…and…there was that crying sound again."

"It sounds like someone's lost out there, doesn't it?"

Tohru began to disentangle herself from the sheets and kicked the shoes away so that she could get dressed properly. She was exhausted…she was sure she'd only been in to see Akito for a short time, but finding her way down there must have taken longer than she thought. Still, she wasn't sorry she'd done it.

"I've got a few things to do while you're eating," Kagura said, "but I'll be back shortly to help you dress. I'd imagine my cousins will turn up sooner or later. Oh, and Hatori's coming home later this evening—at least that's when we're expecting him."

"I thought he was too busy to see me," Tohru confessed.

"Trust me, he'll make time! He only pretends to be an anti-social dragon at times. Under those scales is a very soft heart. One of his latest projects is a research hospital for children because he can't stomach the thought of them dying from things like cancer."

Tohru's eyes grew wide. She had pictured Hatori as being cold and distant like snow clouds. Now, she was getting a very, very different picture of him. Perhaps the point of him staying away all the time was so that he'd be able to help Akito in the long run…

"I can't wait," she said genuinely.

There was a noisy clatter downstairs. Okami's raised voice was howling out apologies for banging into someone and it was also freaking out over how things weren't ready yet. Strangely, Tohru noticed, the usual cry of Akito's voice was silent today. Maybe he hadn't woken up yet, or maybe just having his loneliness alleviated for a bit had made him less desperate for attention. She wished she could go and say hello before she went outside, but there were too many people around. It would have to wait until tonight.

She finished her breakfast and retrieved one of the kimonos, a pretty turquoise one that matched her eyes. Trying to remember the exact steps of how to get it on right, she slowly repeated the process of Kagura's hands. She was nearly there when Kagura returned.

"Started without me! Will wonders never cease?" she remarked, making a few adjustments.

"Well, I know you're all busy and I didn't want to be a bother," Tohru admitted.

"Keep practicing," Kagura said, "you've almost got it. But you might want to do something about that bedhead…"

"Oh!"

Tohru's cheeks reddened as she seized her hairbrush. Her hair was sticking up in every direction. She tamed her messy brown mane and tied her ribbons in. Then, she bundled up securely against the cold and headed outside.

A white bird fluttered overhead. She'd never seen something so pretty and chased after it, eager to know where it was going. It headed for the gardens, but it flew over a hedge that was actually concealing a wall. Tohru squeezed between the hedge and the wall, searching for an entrance. She hadn't even known this was there.

"Where's the door?" she sighed in frustration, "I can't find the door!"

The bird fluttered past again, tilting its head as if studying her. It flew short distances in fits and starts before turning to look at her impatiently. Then, it perched on a knot of vines covering an old wooden door. Tohru tried to open it, but it was locked. The rusty lock had a bunch of dirt wedged in the keyhole from neglect.

"Thank you!" she said. The bird made a cooing noise rather than the familiar chirp.

"I see you've found Melody," Yuki remarked.

"Huh?" Tohru jumped, a little startled at his sudden appearance.

"Melody," Yuki said again, "that's the dove's name. She sings to us, that's why we call her that. She's tame. Watch."

He offered his hand to the dove and she landed on it.

"She's been here for ten years now," Yuki said, "Hatori says she's old for a bird."

"Ten years? Isn't that how old Akito is?"

Yuki and Kyo stared at each other—Kyo was considering sneaking up on Tohru, but he'd paused and now his chance was gone.

"You've seen Akito, Miss Honda? When?"

"Last night," she said, "I couldn't sleep with all that crying—he seemed terribly upset, so I went to find out what was wrong. I thought it was a ghost or something, but anything was better than letting him cry and cry like that. Imagine how silly I felt when it turned out to be just another boy!"

Yuki seemed quite troubled by this.

"Did he do or say anything strange to you?" he asked.

"No. He seemed quite nice, actually. I don't really understand why they keep him cooped up in there. He says it's because he's dying, but I would think staying in that room would make him sicker."

"Stay away from the little creep," Kyo finally said, "if you don't want your life ruined."

"You don't like him?"

"That's an understatement."

"Why?"

"There's a reason Hatori stays away from here," Kyo finally said, "Akito blinded him in one eye all because the little freak didn't get his way on something."

Tohru gasped.

"He's been handed everything since he was born and no one's bothered to make him stop. And the sad thing is there's nothing any of us can do about it," Kyo sighed.

"Kyo, maybe we shouldn't talk about this. The walls have ears—and besides, we're scaring Miss Honda."

"Shut up, you damn rat."

"Really," Tohru said, getting between them, "I don't want to cause any trouble. What's behind that wall there? Why is it locked off?"

"That's the old garden," Yuki said, "it used to be Akira's and Ren's. Hatori had it closed up after they died."

"Why?"

"Too many memories, I guess. Grown-ups are weird."

"Where's the key?"

"We don't know. But locks can't keep Melody out. Or the two of us, for that matter."

"There are other ways in."

"Shut your mouth, you stupid rat! You'll get us in trouble!"

"Why do you keep calling Yuki a rat?"

"It's the only thing I can call him without Kagura boxing my ears. Now, watch."

He examined a nearby tree for a moment before springing up to one of the branches. Tohru thought for sure he was going to fall, but he didn't. He clung easily to it and inched up the moss-covered trunk until he reached an overhanging branch. Peering down at the abandoned garden below, he said, "Getting over here isn't hard—it's getting back that might be a problem."

He inched onto the wall itself and stood upright.

"Kyo, be careful!" Tohru yelled, her heart in her throat.

"He'll be all right, Miss Honda. He's always doing that."

Kyo seemed to balance perfectly on the crumbling wall. He walked the perimeter of the garden, studying it carefully. While a long drop wasn't an issue for him, it might be for the other two. Tohru watched him get further and further away, his orange hair standing out brightly against the gray-blue light that bleached out the color in everything else. He finally returned, his cheeks growing as red with the cold as his eyes. It was the first time she'd noticed that his irises were a deep crimson—was it just a trick of the light or was it real?

"Unless we want Shigure and Kagura to have us locked up forever, I suggest we find the key," he said, sounding almost disappointed, "there's nothing in there worth getting trapped over."

"How will we do that? We aren't allowed inside the main house without permission," Yuki asked, suppressing a shudder.

"I'll look for it," Tohru volunteered, "when Kagura calls me in for dinner. No one really pays attention to the upstairs part of the house when it gets late. Besides, I haven't got any books to read or anything else to pass the time."

She wondered what the two of them did during that time.

"What about both of you?"

"We have chores to do before we eat," Yuki answered, "and then we go home with Kagura."

"Let's not waste our time standing around talking, then," Kyo demanded.

They started to move away from the sealed garden, but Tohru's foot caught on a loose paving stone. She stumbled forward and Yuki grabbed her out of instinct. There was a cloud of smoke and a strange poofing sound before she hit the ground.

"Yuki!" she screamed in horror. She didn't see him anywhere—just his empty clothes.

"Now look what you did," Kyo said, almost tauntingly. Tohru's eyes filled with tears. Her knee was scraped and the silk fabric of the kimono was torn where she'd hit it. Suddenly, something squirmed beneath the collar of Yuki's shirt, startling her. A gray rat crawled out and looked up at her. The eyes, she noticed were lavender.

"Y-Yuki?"

The rat nodded.

"Wh-what happened?"

"Well, at least now you know why I call him 'rat'," Kyo said, almost uneasily.

"Will he change back?"

"Eventually."

"I'm so sorry, Yuki! I don't know how it happened!"

"Being stressed out is one way," he said, startling her more because she didn't know he could still speak, "or…hugging a girl. Or in Kagura's case, hugging a boy."

She stared, disbelieving.

"It's our curse," Yuki continued, "there's a reason we live out in the middle of nowhere. And why Akito's sick all the time…the Zodiac curse. Each one of us carries the spirit of a different animal."

"And you're the Year of the Rat," Tohru concluded, "so that means…"

She glanced over at Kyo.

"You're the cat, aren't you? It's why your hair is orange and you can balance on walls!"

"Unfortunately," he mumbled.

"But it also means…" she bowed her head, "that you're left out."

"So what? I don't give a crap about those legends."

Out of instinct, she hugged him, only too late realizing what would happen. POOF! Now, she was left holding an orange cat. An orange cat whose ears were flattened to his skull with irritation.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I really am!"

"Just….put…me…down…" he said, fighting the urge to swipe at her with his claws.

She carefully placed him on the stone.

POOF!

Yuki changed back. Unfortunately, he didn't have any clothes on. Tohru let out a shriek of shock and turned away, both hands clamped firmly over her eyes.

"Oh my goodness…"

Kyo couldn't help but chuckle at her discomfort.

"You can turn around now, Miss Honda," Yuki said gently, though the discomfort of having been put in this situation was still there in his voice.

"So…if all of you are animals, which one is Akito?" she asked.

"He isn't," Yuki said, "he was born in the Year of the God. He won't transform, but he is cursed with the burden of a short life, one that means he'll die very young. They don't expect him to make it until twenty. He has power over all of us, which means we have to do what he wants without questioning it. I've tried…I've tried to run away before. I literally couldn't do it. It's why Hatori stays away so much. Akito allows it, but he demands that Hatori return home once in a while just to remind him who pulls the strings."

"So, Hatori is which one?"

"He's the dragon. Or he's supposed to be," Kyo said with a smug smile.

"What does he turn into?"

"Let's just say it's something you wouldn't expect," Yuki said, "and Kagura is year of the boar—she turns into a pig."

"And that Shigure you mentioned?"

"He's a dog—big surprise there."

"Why?"

"Once you meet him, you'll find out."

"Is that why that mother cat would let you pet the kittens but not us?" Tohru asked.

"Yeah, that's why," Kyo grumbled.

She begged and begged him to get one of the kittens for her. At first, he resisted, but he finally gave in with a sigh. It mewed softly as he gently picked it up, all the while watching the mother's reaction. She didn't seem to mind—she remained laying on her side with half-closed contented eyes while the other kittens nursed. Kyo held the kitten between his cupped hands, not wanting it to get chilled. Its eyes weren't even open yet. Very carefully, he placed it in Tohru's palms.

"That was very nice of you, Kyo. Who would have thought?" Yuki half-teased.

"I only did it to shut her up," Kyo responded acidly.

Tohru cuddled the kitten next to her cheek. It stopped shivering after a moment, purring. She gave it back once it started to try and suck on her fingers—it was hungry. Kyo returned it to its mother.

"Do you attract rats?" Tohru asked Yuki.

"Actually, I use them to help with the chores," Yuki said smugly, "especially with things like weeding the garden. Gets it done much faster—Kagura disapproves, of course, but if she knew that we'd followed her while she used the feral pigs and wild boards to help her hunt out nuts and truffles and roots for the kitchen, she'd kill us!"

"What about Okami? What animal is she?"

"She isn't," Yuki said, "but her son, Ritsu, is. He was…sent away."

"Sent away?" Tohru asked.

"To a boarding school. Hatori thought it would be best for his nerves if he was away from Okami for a while—and Akito, for that matter. He thought it would be good if Ritsu was around other boys so that he'd outgrow his 'odd habits'. I don't really think it's working."

After the long days in isolation from the world, it was good to have someone to talk to. Tohru asked a lot of questions, but she was taking all of this strangely well. Of course, Yuki mused, if you'd accidentally turned two boys into a rat and a cat just by hugging them, you'd probably believe anything was possible after that. Part of it was probably her desire to be accepted as well—she had finally found a bigger bunch of outcasts than she was. She didn't complain when they wanted to play rough or climb big hills or anything like that and she tried her best to keep up. By the time it was dinner time, she was quite hungry and worn out. She reluctantly said goodbye to them before returning to the warm house.

"It's getting colder out there," Kagura shivered, "you're a tough little girl, you know that?"

"Actually, I don't feel cold at all," Tohru confessed. Kagura frowned at the scrape on her knee and the torn fabric, but she didn't say anything. She cleaned out the scrape and put a bandage on it.

"Here, let's get you changed before you see Hatori. We don't want him to think you're a little ragamuffin, do we?"

"I'm sorry about that," Tohru said sheepishly, "I tripped over a loose brick."

"Yeah…we're going to get that fixed when the weather gets warmer," Kagura said, helping her into an orange kimono, "and we're going to see about getting you some playing clothes so that you don't have to worry about this. I suppose none of us thought you'd be getting on so well with my cousins. Even Kyo."

"Kyo only pretends to not like girls, I think," Tohru said as Kagura tied the obi, "he says they're boring, but maybe he hasn't been around enough of them to know that's not always true."

She devoured her dinner. Despite being a little nervous, she was very hungry. After she'd brushed her wild, windblown hair out again, Kagura escorted her upstairs.

She had pictured an older man with graying hair, perhaps even balding, with glasses and a million books all around him. But what she saw was entirely different. He was, as she'd expected, sitting behind a desk and there were quite a few books scattered around, but he was far from old. A curtain of inky black hair fell over his forehead, concealing what she presumed was the blind eye. He wore no glasses despite this. His figure was long and lean and he was probably the tallest man in the house. Another ink-haired man with big, dark eyes was putting away the contents of his suitcase.

"Well, this must be the little flower we've been hearing about! How are you this evening, Miss Tohru Honda?"

The dark haired man greeted her as enthusiastically as if she were a long-lost friend. Her cheeks colored as he placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her inside. The two enormous dogs—one of them being the one that had frightened her the night she'd found Akito—were following him around with wagging tails and puppy-like enthusiasm. This had to be Shigure.

"I-I'm great, thank you," Tohru stuttered.

"Why don't you go and have your dinner now, Shigure? And take your friends with you?" Hatori finally spoke. He seemed to know that those enormous dogs were making Tohru nervous.

"Sure, sure, just kick me out when I was getting to know her," Shigure began in a melodramatic voice, "and I just might die of a broken heart, but—"

He trailed off. Hatori gave him a Look, his jade-green eyes piercing through the act. Tohru actually giggled as he realized Hatori meant business and retreated, looking every bit like the dogs on either side of him with their tails tucked between their legs.

"You'll have to excuse him," Hatori finally said, turning to her, "he's very…theatrical…at times."

Tohru almost blurted out that it was because he was a dog-spirit, but she remembered and quickly silenced herself. Instead, she said, "I wasn't sure I'd ever get to meet you since you're always busy. I'm glad I was wrong."

Hatori's long, pale fingers twined around each other as he rested his hands on the desk.

"Yes, I have been a little neglectful, haven't I? I assure you that it wasn't on purpose. My work takes me all over the world and away from home for months at a time. I apologize for not being back in time to collect you from the docks myself. Okami informed me of the unfortunate circumstances you had to put up with."

His gaze seemed to be searching for something. What was it about his eyes that seemed to pierce the flesh into the soul? Maybe it was the dragon-spirit in him.

"Oh, I didn't mind at all," Tohru said, feeling the need to stick up for poor old Okami, "I had a chance to sit and look at the water and to imagine what Sohma House would be like. It was worth the wait, too—the gardens and the—"

She trailed off, realizing she was rambling.

"I'm afraid I haven't much to offer you here," Hatori finally said, "I could send you to a school for girls where you'd have friends of your own age. Your needs would surely be better met there."

Remembering Ritsu, Tohru paled.

"But I have Yuki! And Kyo! I don't need much, honest! Just…"

She was afraid to ask, but her heart was thundering around crazily in her chest. Remembering the garden, she suddenly ached for it. Who would revive it if not the three of them?

"Go on," he urged her.

"A little bit of earth to plant flowers in. Mom loved gardening…and it'll be spring soon."

There was a crack in his wintry exterior. For one tiny moment, the ice in the doctor's jade-colored eyes thawed as he remembered Kyoko.

"Yes…had an obsession with roses."

"May I have it from anywhere as long as it isn't wanted?"

"Take it. You will still need to be educated even if you remain here—I made a promise to your mother. You will have to work hard to keep up with your studies or I'll have to send you away from the distractions. Do we have an understanding?"

Her small hand closed around his larger one. She could hardly contain her joy when she was dismissed, for he was in need of rest after traveling so far. That night, after all the lights were put out, she began her search for the key.


End file.
